1 injured, 1 arrested in shooting

An 18-year-old was arrested after a shooting left one Marion man seriously injured Thursday night.

In what appears to have been a marijuana deal turned south, Alexander L. Williams, 31, was shot in the chest at around 10:15 p.m., said Deputy Chief Stephen Dorsey of the Marion Police Department.

According to testimony from Steven Enyeart, 18, of Marion, who was arrested in connection to the shooting, he had arranged for Williams to meet him and another person near the intersection of 18th and Adams streets so they could buy marijuana from Williams.

Williams arrived at the meeting spot just after 10 p.m. in a 2001 Toyota with a female driving and two passengers in the back of the vehicle, according to Enyeart's account.

It's unclear what exactly happened during the exchange between Enyeart and Williams.

Dorsey said Enyeart started to talk to Williams about the buy but “the transaction didn't take place” and Enyeart's “friend” began shooting at the vehicle.

Williams was the only person hit by the gunfire. The driver took Williams to Marion General Hospital, where he was stabilized and then flown to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, where he has undergone surgery. Dorsey said Friday that Williams was in stable condition.

Police came across Enyeart Thursday night when he called police to report an attempted robbery and a shooting.

Enyeart's first story was that he was attacked while walking in the area of 18th and Adams streets. According to Dorsey, Enyeart told police an unknown person put him in a choke hold and held a gun to him. He told police he escaped while the man was firing at a vehicle that was driving by.

Dorsey said Enyeart's story “changed over time as investigators questioned him,” and the final account, which describes the marijuana sale, was Enyeart's “final account.”

Enyeart was arrested on the charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony. He was being held in the Grant County Jail on a $50,005 bond.

Dorsey said police have identified the “friend” who Enyeart says shot at the vehicle, injuring Williams, but are not releasing the suspect's name at this time.